Wireless communication services such as voice and data services can be provided to subscribers via access points. For example, 802.16 capable devices can register with one or more access points and perform voice or data services. However, many access points service a small coverage area, thereby resulting in a wireless device frequently “hopping” across different access points as the device moves. Few systems today track usage data across access points. One problem with current systems utilizing access points is that each access point is responsible for determining user data usage under its own coverage. In other words, each access point that a user registers with may transmit it own usage data information to a billing system. Therefore, the billing system receives multiple billing reports for a particular device. This can create excessive overhead at the billing system.
Another problem with current systems implementing access points is that a wireless device can move out of a current coverage area prior to the access point sending its billing report to the billing system. In this situation, the usage under this access point does not get added to the overall billing record of the wireless device at the billing system. In order to maintain integrity in the overall billing record of wireless devices, current systems require that a new charging session be initiated each time a wireless device registers with a new access point. This results in unnecessary messaging overhead between the access point and the billing system. Also, the billing system can experience capacity issues thereby requiring a more powerful billing system or multiple instances of the billing system, which can create complexities in implementing the multiple instances.
Therefore a need exists to overcome the problems with the prior art as discussed above.